The Diet Zone

I was thrilled to receive your comments and emails this weekend re my post on Friday where I said I needed to lose some weight and fancied some support without going the whole slimming group route. Well ladies, seems like I’m not alone in my little boat here – you are with me – Yeah!!!

I have spent all weekend thinking about this and how we could work it, what to do and how to start.

First things first, let’s give it a name, any name. Just a quick perusal of all things food/health related flashes up a big No-No nowadays in the name department. Seems like just mentioning the dreaded D word (diet) is what all the gurus and authors are avoiding at all costs. Nowadays one doesn’t diet, one ‘changes one’s eating habits’, or ‘It’s a lifestyle change’, just mentioning the D word is apparently a turn off and nobody will buy your book, but call it a lifestyle change and they will snap it up in droves. Well we are not writing a book here, we are not selling anything and I like to think I am a realistic person who doesn’t have to hide behind flowery sugar coated words especially when sugar is part of the problem!

Let’s look at what the dictionary has to say about the D word;

di·et 1(dt)

n.

1. The usual food and drink of a person or animal.

2. A regulated selection of foods, as for medical reasons or cosmetic weight loss.

3. Something used, enjoyed, or provided regularly: subsisted on a diet of detective novels during his vacation.

adj.

1. Of or relating to a food regimen designed to promote weight loss in a person or an animal: the diet industry.

2.

a. Having fewer calories.

b. Sweetened with a noncaloric sugar substitute.

3. Designed to reduce or suppress the appetite: diet pills; diet drugs.

v.di·et·ed, di·et·ing, di·ets

v.intr.

To eat and drink according to a regulated system, especially so as to lose weight or control a medical condition.

v.tr.

To regulate or prescribe food and drink for.

[Middle English diete, from Old French, from Latin diaeta, way of living, diet, from Greek diaita, back-formation from diaitsthai, to live one’s life, middle voice of diaitn, to treat.]

Look back in time and see the history of the word – Way of living, To live one’s life. That sounds great doesn’t it? A nice word, not one to be avoided.

It is when we get to the adjective that it all goes pear shaped (!), that is when it all falls into the deprivation category – having fewer calories, non calorific sugar substitute, regulated selection of foods, suppress the appetite. It all sounds so horribly strict and frightening. No wonder those authors want to avoid the dreaded D word, it is a major turn-off.

But let’s be realistic here, I want to lose weight and get in shape again. I want to be slim and I have to do something to get there. I have to eat less and exercise more. I have to change my mind set and curb my cravings for sweet stuff and choccies. I have to change my Diet – I have to change the things I eat and the amount of the stuff I put on my fork.

I will use the word Diet. I will change my Way of living just like the old definition of the word. Let’s not be afraid of a little four-lettered word ladies. Get over it!

So let’s just get real and call this THE DIET ZONE and be done with it.

But wait, hang on a sec let’s not leap ahead too fast. We now have a name, big and bold and basic, but behind the name we need to know our style, the way we are tackling this whole diet thing. For me it has to be in the Comfort Zone style – no drastic leap-off-the-building stop eating carbs completely, never look at chocolate again, run 10 miles a day and do 1000 press-ups before breakfasting on broiled turkey with spinach.

For me the whole Good v. Bad, Black v. White and Right v. Wrong just turns me off completely and leaves me cold. Life is about mix and match and compromise. It is light and shade and the dapply bit in the middle.

There are too many big time gurus out there who will crack the proverbial whip and tell you to ‘Get your ass in gear’, ‘Get a grip’ and worst of all ‘Get a life’, as if your own weren’t good enough in the first place. They say that your comfort zone is the worst place to be and that you should constantly strive to leave it, escape the confines of your own mind and way of living.

Well sorry boys, I for one have worked long and hard to reach my comfort zone. To bring the things and thoughts into my realm that make me ‘comfortable’. I have reached an age where I have no great desire to rush out and change the world and start building a whole new life. I have one right here thanks, I want to reach a hand from my zone and bring the things and thoughts that interest and excite me into my comfort zone, I don’t want to escape me, just bring in some extra pieces to add to my puzzle.

There are too many people out there telling us we don’t live up to the perfect image, from the media in all its manifestations to well meaning parents, school mates, friends, lovers and most damaging of all – ourselves. We put up this image of what is perfect and what we should be, and beat the hell out of ourselves for not measuring up. I know I am horribly guilty of this one.

So having spent all weekend thinking about this I really think that helping each other is the way to go. Being realistic and embracing the word diet without flinching, but doing it in a way that is kind to ourselves, keeping it comfortable and not breaking our backs and breaking our hearts.

I have a cunning plan – a Facebook Group where we can get together and all put up posts, images, hints and tips, our rants, successes and moan a minute bad days. There will be a group email addy where you can all be in contact and live chat when we are online at the same time. I am going to set up the group today and make it a Closed Group which means that while other people on facebook can see that there is a group, they cannot read what is on out board. I want us all to be able to share how we really feel, be honest with each other and not feel we have to cringe and hide because Big Brother or whoever is listening. This group will just be for us. Any of my readers can join of course, the more the merrier.

Monday will also be D-Day on the blog here and I will post anything diet/foodie related that I think might be of interest or help.

I am not leaving my comfort zone though, there are still going to be recipes for all sorts of meals and goodies on the blog because that is what this type of dieting is about – not losing sight of the real world, still being in there with the rest of the planet, just not eating all of it in one go!

I am so thrilled that there are folks interested in joining in on this. I will get on to the Facebook Group thing right away and keep you posted.

Having had 6 adult house guests over the weekend, and 4 staying on until next Monday, I’ll be more than ready to join in by Monday! We have over-indulged on food and wine since their arrival, my extra Xmas kilos now have new companions. I’ve been trying to motivate myself to begin losing weight and you’ve given me the incentive to start. I like the idea of the Facebook group. Thanks for leading the way into the light(er me).
Susan x